Wisp Of Smoke
by TakeHomeJulie
Summary: When Beth Greene lies to her sister Maggie about having a boyfriend to avoid being set up with one of her sister's weird male friends, her friend, and local sheriff, Rick promises to find someone to play the role of her fake boyfriend. Enter Daryl Dixon. [AU- Bethyl]
1. Chapter 1

Beth wiped the sweat from her forehead. Georgia weather was definitely not her favourite, especially not the few warm days in winter. Maybe it wasn't the weather, she considered, but the pressure approaching with the coming holiday. Christmas, largely celebrated in her family, was approaching in a few mere weeks and she was expected to bring a date, or risk being set up with one of Maggie's strange male friends. She didn't blame her sister for wanting her to find someone, but the constant pleading for her to find a suitable companion to bring to Christmas dinner was getting on her nerves.

She had considered telling her older sister that she did indeed have a boyfriend and he was indeed attending dinner but that meant lying, and that was a sin in her family. Telling the truth was highly valued, even if the truth could get you into trouble.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she fished a hand into her jeans and pulled it out, pressing it to her ear.

"Hello?" she chirped, waiting for a reply on the other end.

"Beth!" Maggie squealed. "I know you don't like being set up but there's this guy who works at the take-out place down the road. His name is Zach, okay? He's more around my age but you guys would be perfect together."

Beth inhaled deeply, trying to find an excuse to avoid yet another awkward date. "Actually," she said through gritted teeth, "I already have a date, Mags."

"What? Really? Well then, forget take-out boy, my little sister already got herself a date."

"Yup," Beth said nervously, chewing on her lower lip. The phone still pressed to her ear, she sipped the iced tea in front of her to settle her stomach. "I sure did. Hopefully you'll see him around Christmas. Am I still staying at your place?"

She heard a muffled voice in the background before Maggie confirmed Beth's worst fears. "Sure, and I expect this little prize boy of yours to stay here too. I can't have one of you lovebirds without the other, huh?"

Beth nodded, tucking a string of blonde hair behind her ear. "You will, promise. Listen, I should go, Maggie. I promised Rick - you should remember him - that I'd meet him and Lori for lunch at the diner. We'll talk later though, 'kay?"

"Have fun, Bethy. Bye!"

Beth bid her sister goodbye and settled her phone on the table. She'd never lied in her life and God, did it feel terrible. At least she'd gotten out of another date with one of her sister's friends/acquaintances. There was nothing worse than a blind date; there was nothing worse than a blind date with one of her sister's suitors.

* * *

Beth settled herself into the booth, sipping at the strawberry smoothie in front of her. Lori had insisted she get it; apparently you hadn't lived until you'd tried it.

After her conversation with her sister, Beth had made sure that both Rick and Lori would be attending the catch-up lunch. Surely, she thought to herself, one of them would know a suitable, and available, man to pose as her fake boyfriend. She'd be helpless without them.

"So," Lori started, tucking a loose black curl behind her ear. "Want to tell us why we had to rush here to meet you early?"

Beth shrugged, smiling at them nervously. "I told Maggie I had a date to the family Christmas dinner and now she expects us, my _boyfriend_ and I, both at her house in less than a few days."

"Let me guess," Rick smirked, leaning forward so their faces were closer together, "You lied."

She nodded quickly, taking another sip to soothe her dry mouth, "I'm a terrible person for doing that, I know. Now I need a date. You guys have a lot of older male friends, right?"

Lori tried to hide her laughter, her hand muffling the sound. "Sweetie, they're way too old for you."

"Rick," Beth pleaded. "You know a lot of people, you're the Sheriff! Convince one of them to put up with me for the week and then we're both home free. That's all. A week. I need a fake boyfriend for just one week, okay? It's Christmas dinner."

The man leant his chin on his palm, staring at her almost curiously. "Okay," he said, nodding his head slowly as if unsure. "I know a guy. Might take a bit of convincing but I'm sure he'll do it. I'll set up something for you tomorrow."

Beth let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through her thick blonde hair. "Thank you so much, Rick. You have no idea how much I need this."

"Let's just hope you guys get along all right, he's not exactly the ideal guy but I'm sure he'll like you," Rick said with a mischievous grin. "You guys could both do with the dating practice anyway."


	2. Chapter 2

The peppermint latte sent shots of warmth through Beth's cold fingers. The day had gone from warm to freezing, and what once was sweat down her face was now frost. The snow outside was piling against the door of the café, a small place on the corner around the block, and a weak old man was raking at it desperately.

Beth felt a pang of empathy strike through her heart at the sight. Sipping her drink to distract herself, she cast another nervous glance outside.

This time, instead of seeing the elderly man holding the shovel, she saw a rugged man, much older than her but not too old that she couldn't appreciate how attractive he was. The way he held the shovel, almost clumsily, told her he hadn't done this many times before but he was kind enough to try.

When he finished, the door to the café slid open and in he stepped. Shaking the snow from his thick, dark hair, he examined the girl sitting to his right. Beth cast an envious glance at her, wondering if they were together. Diverting her gaze from the girl to him, she noticed his eyes were already on her.

Embarrassed, she looked away, pretending to feign interest in the book in front of her.

"Beth Greene?" he asked, suddenly beside her.

Slowly, and nervously, she looked up at him. His eyes were definitely focused on her and from the way he stood, she guessed he was nervous.

"Hi," she squeaked, clutching her warm cup. "Are you... Daryl, was it?"

Daryl nodded anxiously, asking her if he could take the seat across from her.

"Sure," she replied, sliding her menu across to him. "They make a mean caramel frappe," she suggested, pointing to the name on the menu. "Order if you want."

He nodded again, his knee bumping against hers. He pulled it away, a faint blush evident on his face. "Rick tells me ya lied ta yer sister. If I did that ta my brother, I think he'd have ma head on a stick."

Beth smiled, laughing to hide her discomfort. "I lied to avoid another awkward date. She's always setting me up with these awful guys. Enough is enough."

"So ya made up a fake boyfrien' instead?" he asked, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Anything to keep Maggie - that's my sister - off my back. Anyway, are you sure you're okay with this? I mean, pretending to date me and stuff."

"I've had plenty o' girlfriends, Beth," he muttered.

She sighed. "I didn't mean to insult you, I just wanted to make sure you were willing to pretend to be with me for a week. I mean, you're the only chance I got, but it's fine if you don't feel comfortable with it. I'm just making absolutely sure."

"Don't matter. Rick would kill me if I said no. Besides, I owe him a favour for bustin' Merle - my brother - outta the drunk tank last week."

"Your brother sounds like fun," she muttered sarcastically.

Daryl's eyes examined her, his mouth working away at the skin around his thumb. "Ya know, I don't take too lightly ta prissy little blonde chicks makin' rude comments 'bout my family."

"I was just making a harmless comment. Why're you so jumpy?"

"Maybe you should mind yer own business, Beth," he replied, his voice making her shudder. "Stick your nose in the wrong person's business and that's all it'll take."

She frowned, not understanding how their meeting went so wrong but deciding to change the subject. "Anyway, are you going to order something or what? My peppermint latte is cold now."

Daryl muttered something under his breath, looking over the menu.

"Excuse me?" she said. "You have something you'd like to say to me, Daryl?"

"I said, ya got a big mouth for a little girl. Do you want me ta repeat everything I say from now on so ya understand?"

Beth smirked. "What do you know about my big mouth? And I'm anything but little, I can assure you."

Daryl froze in place, trying to decipher whether she was joking or not. "That's called teasing," he muttered. Whether or not he intended for her to hear, she didn't know.

"It was nice to meet you," she stated, grabbing her cardigan from the back of her chair. "I really should go, Maggie wants to discuss Christmas dinner arrangements and ask how our _'date'_ went," she continued, making air quotations.

"Talk to ya later," he said, his eyes not leaving the menu.

Beth smiled at him, wrapping her cardigan around her body. "I hope to, Daryl."

Swinging open the café door, she embraced the cold air, pleased with herself. If all went well, she'd be at her sister's with a date in no time.

* * *

"So," Rick asked, his eyes focused on the man in front of him. "Do you like Beth?"

Daryl shrugged, staring at his caramel frappe. Beth had recommended it herself, not that Rick knew. After his first meeting with her, Rick had immediately called and told him that he'd meet him there. "I told her I'd do it," he admitted.

Rick nodded, smirking. "Do you think she's pretty?" he teased.

A blush appeared on the redneck's face before he could answer, which sent Rick into a fit of laughter. "She's prettier than those skanks I hook up with," he muttered.

"She likes you," Rick stated. "Told Lori you were handsome - I'm not seeing it. And apparently, really nervous, and she found it cute. Her words, not mine."

"I ain't nervous, I shouldn't've even said yes to 'er."

His friend frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Daryl, she isn't a game. You can't just screw her and leave. She needs you, okay? Just do this one thing and you never have to see her again," he pointed out, taking a swig of his hot chocolate. "Unless you want to, of course."

"Nope."

"She ain't that bad. She's nice and young, doesn't watch her mouth sometimes, but what do you expect. She likes you, genuinely. Listen, I know you hate being set up but just go on one more date with her. You and Beth need to get your story straight before introducing you to the big sister."

Daryl shrugged, "Get Lori to organise something."

"No," Rick sighed, "You call her and ask her out. She'll say yes, hopefully. You guys would be pretty good together. I should set my friends up more often.

"This ain't a set up, this is just a favour," Daryl said under his breath, trying to deter Rick from the possibility of him dating Beth.

"Just call her, okay? I have to pick Carl up from school but you just organise that date."

* * *

Beth pressed her phone to her ear, her other hand gripping her warm tea.

"_Hello_?" she sang. "This is Beth."

"Hey, Beth," came the grumbled reply.

She inhaled, trying to calm her nerves, the deep voice sending a chill down her spine. "Hey," she replied, smoothing down her hair.

"I just wanted ta know if you'd be up for coffee later."

"I didn't take you as a coffee drinker, Daryl," she laughed. "More of a vodka or Pepsi man, am I right? Is coffee code for something I don't know?"

"Nah, coffee is coffee."

Beth nodded nervously, releasing a deep breath. "I'd love to meet up for coffee later, sure. I can meet you in about 20 minutes?" she offered, glancing at the clock hanging above her television. "Is that okay? I know it's late, I just -"

"Sure, Beth," he confirmed. "See ya there."

She bid him goodbye, setting her phone down on the coffee table. In two days, she would be at Maggie's house with Daryl, hoping and praying they didn't screw her lie up. Surely it would call for awkward acts of affection; hugs, stolen kisses and shared beds. She was prepared for whatever came her way.

Pulling the blanket off her frozen body, she started the trek upstairs to her bedroom to get ready for her date with Daryl.

* * *

**Leave a review please lovelies. Hope you enjoyed the chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


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